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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — music
  19. land — a country
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com